Uncurler guide for sewing machines



March 14, 1933. V c, O P R 1,901,733

UNCURLER GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 10, 1930 "1/1/11 Mm: W g0 mimfiimlimw l Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES FATE? FFECE GROVER G. COOPER, F COLLINGSWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNQR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OE CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS UNCURLER GUIDE FOR- SEWING MACHINES Application filed May 10,

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in guides for sewing machines, and more particularly to an uncurler guide used in connection with a sewing machine wherein the fabric sections to be united are supported by feed wheels rotated about vertical axes.

An object of the invention is to provide a guide for the fabric sections having a plurality of devices operating in succession for uncurling and guiding the edges of the fabric sections.

A further object of the. invention is to provide a guide of the above type wherein the uncurling devices are carried by presser members which are yieldingly and independently mounted.

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention 20 Figure 1 is a side View of an uncurling guide embodying the improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4C is an enlarged view in side elevatlon showing the fabric engaging portions of the uncurling guide, and also showing the fabric, and diagrammatically the location of the feed rolls to which the fabric is guided.

The invention is directed to a guide having uncurling devices used in conjunction with a cup feed type of sewing machine. The machine may be of any desired construction and includes feed cups or feed wheels which rotate about vertical axes, and which support and feed the fabric sections as they are being stitched. The fabric sections are stitched by a horizontally reciprocating needle, and a threaded looper which cooperates therewith to form overedge stitches. Located in front of the feed wheels is a guide for guiding the edges of the fabric sections to the feed wheels. It has been customary to provide this guide for the fabric sections with means for uncurling the edges of the fabric sections when operating upon knit fabrics. It often occurs in a knitted fabric that certain sections will be of heavier gage than other sections, and some dificulty has 50 been experienced in uncurling and retaining 1930. Serial No. 451,413.

in flat relation to each other the edge portions of fabric sections which vary in thickness. When the thicker portions pass between the presser members carrying the uncurling means they are separated from the central guiding plate a distance corresponding to. the thickness of the material. This separating of the presser members from the center plate releases the portion of the fabric section which has been uncurled in advance of the thicker section and it is likely to recurl.

The present invention is directed to a guide which is provided with a plurality of pairs of presser members, each of which has its own uncurling means, and these pairs of presser members are independently mounted and are yielding so thatthey function independently of each other. lVhen thicker sections are passing between the presser members and the center plate of one pair of members, the other pair of presser members and the uncurlers carried thereby may be in firm contact with a. thinner section and maintain the edge portions thereof uncurled or operating to uncurl said edges depending upon the position of the thicker portion of. fabric relative to the pair of presser members. The presser members are arranged in tandem so that they operate in succession on the fabric sections as to the uncurling action thereon.

Referring more in detail to the drawing the invention is embodied in a guide for a cup feed machine, which guide includes a center supporting and guiding plate 1, pivoted at 2 to a bracket carrying a holding disk 3 provided with notches 4c, 4: in the periphery thereof. A lever 5 pivoted at 6 to the supporting plate 1 is provided with a nose 7 adapted to engageeone of the notches for holdin the guide in operating position relative to the feed cups, or for holding the guide in raised and inoperative position. A releasing arm 8 is provided for moving the rocking lever 5 and for swinging the guide 5 on its pivot support. These features just de scribed are shown, described and claimed in the patent granted Ralph A. Vine,November 19, 1918, No. 1,285,482. It is not thought necessary to describe this machine more in 100 detail in order that a clear understanding of the present invention may be had.

The feed wheels are indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 4 at 9. The center guiding and supporting plate 1 has a fabric engaging portion 10 which projects forwardly from the plate, and also a rearwardly projecting portion so that this center plate extends from a point in front of the presser members to a point at the rear thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. Mounted on this center plate 1 is a pair of presser members 11, 11. These presser members are similar in construction and the description of one will answer for the other. Attached to the center plate 1 are cross bars 12 and 13. The member 11 at the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, is provided with an integral lug 14 extending across the same, and a pivot bolt 15 passes through said lug and the bars 12 and 13, thus pivotally supporting the presser member 11 on the left of the guide. The presser member 11 on the right of the guide is similarly supported in these bars 12 and 13 by a pivot pin 16. A spring 17 located between the center plate and the left hand presser member yieldingly forces the upper end of said presser member outwardly, and the lower active end thereof against the center plate. A spring 18 between the right hand presser member and the center plate likewise normally presses the upper end thereof outwardly and the lower active end of this presser member against this center plate. The two fabric sections to be united pass on opposite sides of this center plate, and one of the fabric sections is engaged by one presser member while the other is engaged by the other presser member. The active portions of the presser members which engage the fabric sections are indicated at 11. This active portion projects well towardthe for ward end of the portion 10 of the center plate, and is provided with an upwardly proj ecting portion 11 which extends underneath the curl in the fabric section, and as the fabric section passes along between this presser member and plate 1 it will engage the curved face 11 and the edge be unrolled or uncurled. A stop pin 19 guides the upper edges of the fabric sections so that they will be properly directed to the feed wheels of the machine. This upper edge of the presser member 11 is beveled or inclined downwardly away from the center plate, and it is this edge that serves as the uncurling means. It unrolls the curled edge of the fabric section so that the fabric section will pass pin 19 completely uncurled and in a vertical plane.

Also mounted on the center plate 1 is a pair of presser members 20. There is a presser member on each side of the center plate, and each presser member has a sleeve 21 which are mounted on the respective pivot pins 15 and 16. There is also a spring for each of these presser members, which springs are similar in construction and arrangement to the springs 17 and 18. The active fabric engaging portion of this pair of presser members is indicated at 20. The rear end of the fabric engaging portion 11 of the forward pair of presser members is cut away as indicated at 11 The members 2O have forwardly projecting portions which are located immediately in rear of the fabric engaging portions 11. The presser members 20 are each provided with a curved face 20 which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly so as to provide an uncurling edge. This is the uncurling means for the rear presser members. In Fig. A of the drawing the fabric sections are indicated at F and the curling "portions at f.

From the above it will be noted that the presser members are independently mounted and are yieldingly mounted. It will also be noted that the uncurling means of the respective pairs of uncurlers are disposed so that they operate in succession or in tandem on the fabric sections. It often occurs in knitted fabrics that there will be sections where the fabric is of greater thickness. As for example, in the stitching of a stocking the welt at the top of the stocking and the reinforcing at the heel form thicker sections. When a thicker section of fabric passes be tween the forward presser members it will separate said presser members from the center plate a greater distanceth an the thinner section of the fabric. This will in a measure release the fabric sections as soon as the thicker portion enters between the forward ends of the presser members and the center plate. When the fabric edge is released to a certain extent it is likely to recurl. At this time the rear members are however bearing against the thinner portions of the fabric sections and maintain the edges in their uncurled position or operating upon these portions of the fabric sections which tend to curl, uncurling the same as they come in contact with the uncurler 20". The guide pin 22 determines the position of the edges as they pass through the rear presser members. Then again when the thicker portion of the fabric section is passing only through the rear pair of presser members the forward pair instead of being held spaced away from the thinner portion of the fabric section will move into contact therewith and better serve their function of uncurling. The uncurling means associated with this pair of presser members operate in succession and function independently so that the edges are uncurled and maintained uncurled regardless of the varying in thickness of the fabric sections passing through the guiding device.

It will be obvious that the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be greatly varied Without departing from 4.: Min

the spirit of the invention which resides in the arrangement of uncurling devices so as to operate in succession on fabric sections and function independently for uncurling the edges and maintaining said edge portions uncurled regardless of the variations in the thickness of the fabric sections passing through the guide.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A fabric guiding and uncurli g device for sewing machines comprising a plurality of independent uncurling members located one in rear of the other and operating in succession on the fabric sections for uncurling the edges thereof.

A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a plurality of independently yielding uncurling members located one in rear of the other and opera ring in succession on the fabric sections for uncurling the edges thereof.

3. A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewin machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, a plurality of pairs of independently yielding presser memhere one pair being located in rear of the other and provided with means operating in succession on the fabric sections for uncurlthe edges thereof.

l. fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, and a plurality of independent uncurling members mounted thereon one in rear of the other nd operating in succession on the fabric sections for uncurling the ed es thereof.

5. A fabric guiding and uncurling device or sewing machines comprising a central upporting and guiding plate, and a pinality of pairs of uncurling members yieldingly and independently mounted one pair in rear of the ther on said plate and operin succession on the fabric sections for uncurling the edges thereof.

6. A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a pair of presser members having means for uncurling the edges of the fabric sections, and a pair of independently yielding presser members located in rear of the first-named presser members for engaging and maintaining the edges of the fabric sections uncurled.

7. A fa iric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, a pair of press or members mounted thereon and having neans for uncurling the edges of the fabric sections, and a pair of yielding devices located in rear of the presser members and engaging said fabric sections for maintaining the edge portions of the fabric sections uncurled.

8. A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, a pair of presser members pivotally supported by said plate, yielding means for forcing the fabric engaging portions of said presser members toward said plate, each presser member having a noncurling means, a guiding pin asso ciated with the presser members for guiding the edges of the uncurled fabric sections, and a pair of yielding presser members carried by said plate and engaging the fabric sections after they pass from between said presser members for maintaining the edge portions uncurled.

9. A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, a pair of presser members pivotally supported by said plate, yielding means for forcing the fabric engaging portions of said presser members toward said plate, each presser member having an uncurling means, a guiding pin associated with the presser members for guiding the edges of the uncurled fabric sections, and a pair of yielding presser members carried by said plate and engaging the fabric sections after they pass from between said presser members for maintaining the edge portions uncurled, said last-named presser members having uncurling devices for assisting in maintaining the edges uncurled when fabric sections of varied thickness pass through the guiding device.

l0. A fabric guiding and uncurling device for sewing machines comprising a central supporting and guiding plate, a pair of presser members pivotally supported by said plate, yielding means for forcing the fabric engaging portions of said presser members toward said plate, each presser member having an unc'urling means, a guiding pin associated with the presser members for guiding the edges of the uncurled fabric sections, a second pair of pivoted presser members located in rear of the first-named presser neinbers, yielding means for pressing the fabric engaging portions of said last-named presser members toward the supporting plate, each of said last-named presser members having an uncurling ed e adapted to operate upon the edges of the Iabric sections to maintain said edge portions uncurled, and a guiding pin associated with said last-named pair of presser members.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

GROVER C. COOPER. 

